No Better Version of Me Than When I'm With You

Chapter 11

Chapter Summary: Long distance is much harder than Thomas expects.

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Waking up the morning after Newt flew to London came with a feeling of sharp reminder that he wouldn't be home for a while. The distance after being together so closely for so long was both startling and unwanted. It shocked Thomas how much he disliked it, the empty space in the bed beside him. He didn't like that, unnerved by the fact that Newt's absence upset him so much. It never used to, why did it bother him so much now? Newt typically went to visit his parents several times a year, and this wasn't any different. Thomas did the same with his, though they lived just across the city, so it wasn't as bad.

The feeling boiled in his chest nonetheless.

To try and shake off the feeling he went for a run. The activity usually helped him feel better, and today was no exception. Just him and his feet pounding on the earth and music in his ears helped calm him in a way nothing else did. By the time he got home and showered to make ready to go to work he felt steadier, more clear headed, and less affected by his best friend's absence.

The next day as he came home from work Thomas came to the realization, probably too late, that it wasn't entirely just not having Newt around that made him feel restless and off. It was the simple fact that he was alone, in a place that he associated with being surrounded by the ones he loved. When he was alone he got trapped in his head, thinking himself in circles until someone else could pull him out of it. He wasn't very good at being alone.

Thus, when he got told the project they were working on at work would need some extra time spent on it, he jumped on the excuse to stay late nearly every day at work, and even take some home to work on over the weekend. If his brain was busy doing calculations that meant he couldn't get stuck in the maze he called his thoughts.

Thomas had just gotten home from another extra long day at work. Three days Newt had been gone, three days, that was all, and he was already longing for him to come home again. They hadn't been talking much, hardly at all what with the time difference and Thomas being at work nearly the entire time Newt was awake in London. He knew only that he and Sonya had made it safely to their parents house and were relieved to see their mom doing just fine.

With a sigh, Thomas kicked off his shoes and settled onto the couch, waiting for the leftovers from his dinner the night before to finish reheating in the microwave. It was as he turned on a show to watch with his meal in front of him when the texts from Newt began rolling in. His phone buzzed incessantly for several minutes as his best friend sent text after text, and Thomas smiled in amusement as he read them.

[Newt, 5:48pm]

Tommy

hi

I miss you

it's late and dad and sonya and I are out in the garden

mum's asleep (obviously, coz its 2am and the painkillers they gave her knock her out)

but dad was prepared I guess and we've been out here drinking some top notch beer

kidding, it's actually the cheapest pair of six packs he could find

but we've been sitting out here talking and now all I can think of is how much you would like this. Being here, I mean. You feel like a limb that's missing when you're not around. Especially when I'm doing stuff like this, spending time with my family